As the popularity of professional sports has grown over the years, so has the demand
for autographed collectibles. To forgers, public interest in sports signifies a
golden opportunity to make a buck off unsuspecting fans. Upper Deck recognized the
problem and introduced a solution when the company established Upper Deck Authenticated
in 1992 and created the first authentication system in the industry. The company's
mission was to create a source that sports fans could trust for genuine autographed
sports memorabilia.

At the heart of the company's patented five-step authentication process is the company's
policy that an Upper Deck representative must witness each autograph signed by any
one of the high-profile athletes with whom it has a relationship. The five-step
process goes like this:

STEP 1

Every autograph is witnessed by an Upper Deck Authenticated representative. After
all, observation is the ONLY WAY to truly guarantee authenticity;

STEP 2

A record of the autograph session is signed by both the athlete and the UDA official
and is stored in a secure permanent file;

STEP 3

An Upper Deck Authenticated serial numbered hologram is affixed to each signed piece
of memorabilia;

STEP 4

A certificate of authenticity is assigned to every piece of memorabilia and includes
a matching hologram to the one affixed to the item;

STEP 5

Every piece of signed memorabilia is packaged with a registration card. The owner
has the opportunity to register the item with Upper Deck Authenticated. If for some
reason the item is sold and/or transferred to a new owner, a full detailed record
of the item's history is readily available.